Today, the Roman theatre in Arles is less well preserved than its illustrious neighbour, the amphitheatre, yet this is one of the most impressive stone theatres from the ancient world. Built in the 1C BC, it could hold around 10 000 spectators, but over time it disappeared completely beneath the houses built on the site and was only "rediscovered" in 1827. Unlike its counterpart in Orange, it was not built against a hill but on an exterior portico comprising 27 arches, of which just section remains today.